Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1887-12-17

PAoA u es'dpe Wu1cn was their Leaders,
only chance of life-probably their own
also. Andrews was separated from them
the same evening and put down into ;'the
mole" There was a knife in the party and
they ut once began work. On Saturday
night they cut into the plank overhead, as
this could be the more easily concealed,
1t was fearfully difficult. One man stood
on the shoulders Of two others who leaned
against the walls, for there was no other
means OF reaching the ceiling, and carved
at the heavy oak plank till weary, when
another relay of three would take their
place. The cutting was not very noisy,
but q little shutting about, talking. and
especially singing, c%tfectually drowned it.
A piece was thus worked out during the
night large enough to admit the passage
OF a mans body and the work suspended
till the morning and afternoon visits of
the jailer had been passed.
After they had returned from their daily
airing on Sunday they went to work with
new vigor. Now they did not need to con-
ceal the evidences of their work. for be-
fore the iailer came again on Monday
morning they meant to be free. They
knew that dangers We're ahead, but tn,
thought of liberty, and their leaders, life,
was enough to inspire them. They worked
hard and sang long that Sunday evening.
Swims afterward said that he ought to
have known that something was the mat
ter by their singing so mournfully! They
hoped to finish all that was to be done b,
midnight; but they had miscalculate,
their task.
They had to cut the lock out OF the ira,
door in order to bring Andrews up fror
below; then to pick their way through til,
end brick wall above the ceiling, s!ovl
and carefully, so as not to alarm the cuart
outside. Their garments had to be twistc.
into ropes to lift Andrews from below an,
the last of themselves up to the ceiling, q.
well as to make a longer rope for the per
ilous descent from the gabled end of tn,
Jail to the ground outside.
When all was done day was Just begin
ming to break family in the east. Notinc
was to be lost. In half an hour it would
be so light as to render their escape i'm
possible. They were all in the loft ard
Andrews was given the first chance. or
course all letters had been removed. The
rope was passed out, and Andrews crawlc,l
through, and in a INC was swinging
outside; but in getting cut he happened to
push Oft a loose brick, which fell to the
ground and gave the alarm. The nearest
guard raised his muskct and fired at the
man hanging on the rope, out missed his
ain Andrews had his boots in his hand,
but in the excitement let them fall and
could not stop to pick them up. He after
wards sorely needed them. But in his
stocking feet he flung himself over the
fence and through the guard line. repeat
eddy fired at but unhurt. John Wollam
followed, and while he was in the air he
was fired at by other guards, but sue
ceeded in getting out Of tho yard unhurt.
Those who had failed to get out crawled
down and got Oh their irons again, and it
was a great mystery how the two men
alone had been able to effect their escape.
Andrews and Wollam separated as soon
as they left the prison. The former ran a
short distance beyond tho skirts Of the
town, after having taken precautions to
throw the dogs off his track, and finding
1t too light to travel further in safety,
climbed into q tree with dense foliage,
which stood in plain view of the railroad.
All day long he watched the running of
the trains so close that he could have
tossed a pebble on them, and once heard a
FERROUS disappearance. The search was
patient and complete, but they did not
think Of looking over their heads!
He descended at nightfall and swan the
deep and rapid river, feeling that his best
course was to get into the loyal noun
famous country, through which he would
only need to journey a short distance to
reach the Union lines. His prospect now
would have been good but for the loss Of
boots and hat in the first rush, and the
additional loss of his coat in swimming
the river. His course was in the main
yoyy-Y, Tim ,iy-a~ t1,S hn oNyylj mot ,rp(>n
rapid progress. The sharp stones in the
darkness soon cut away his stockings and
left the bleeding feet unprotected. He
bound them up with portions of his gar.
ments as well as he could, and continued
on his desperate and painful way. But
he was a little too long in finding u hiding
place, and was observed in the morning
twilight just as he was crossing an open
field beyond, in which he intended to
take shelter, as he had done the day be-
fore. Instantly the alarm was given and
pursuit made by men and dogs. With
boots and other clothing he might have
escaped, for he could probably ave made
such use Of the stream as to elude them.
AS it was he put forth every effort.
Dashing through the woods he regained
the river bank much lower down than he
had crossed the night before. Believing
that he was now unobserved, he swan q
narrow channel to a small island, and
carefully concealed himself among some
driftwood at its upper end.
But the hunters were determined to
leave no spot unsearched. \ party with
bloodhounds now crossed over from the
mainland and explored the whole island.
He was soon found, but broke away from
them and ran around the lower end OF
the island. wading in the shallow water
TO throw the hounds Off the track; then
he plunged into a dense thicket with
which the island was covered, and again
assembled a tree. For a long time he
found secure concealment here, his foes
being frequently under the very tree.
They finally concluded that he must have
got back over the strip of water to the
mainland, and slowly returned to seek
him there. Two little boys who had only
followed for curiosity We're all that lin.
gered behind.
One of the boys happened to look up,
and said to the other hat he saw a great
bunch on q tree. The second looked to
see what it was-shifted his position
looked again and exclaimed that it was O
man! They cried out in alarm. and thus
announced their discovery to their friends
OIL shore. The latter instantly returned,
and Andrews, seeing himself discovered
the story is almost too pitiful to be told
dropped from the tree, ran to the lower
end OF the island, seized a small, dead log,
and with a limb for a paddle pushed into
the stream, hoping to reach the opposite
shore before he could be overtalen. Sc
far as the island pursuers were concerned
he might have succeeded; but there was
another party with q skif lower down the
stream. who showed u to neet1im. Tat